Where is the hometown of principals in Eastern Taiwan, the town known for longevity? It lies in central Hualien, on the culturally rich East Rift Valley Plain—Fenglin Township, Taiwan’s first internationally certified Cittaslow Hakka town.

Nestled between the Coastal and Central Mountain Ranges, Fenglin is a small international Cittaslow town with a predominantly Hakka population. Though home to only around 11,000 residents, it has produced nearly 200 school principals and boasts nearly 3,000 seniors over the age of 65, including nine centenarians—truly deserving its reputation as the “Town of Principals” and “Longevity Town.”

A visit to Fenglin reveals no hustle and bustle of a metropolis, but instead, fresh air, friendly people, and a peaceful atmosphere reminiscent of Japan or Europe. Its grid-like streets are shaded by greenery and lined with unique sites like the Lintian Shinto Shrine, tobacco barns, Japanese-era buildings, pastoral landscapes, green tunnels, the Principal Dream Factory, Shin Kong Chao Feng Ranch, Lintianshan Forestry Cultural Park, cherry blossom and tung blossom trails, the Zhongxing terraced fields, the touching story of the Jianying Bridge, as well as local highlights like “Wonderful Peanuts,” the Charcoal Studio, Hakka dyeing crafts, Hakka cuisine, and Indigenous culture.

The “slow” atmosphere here invites visitors to take their time and savor the charm of Fenglin’s unique Hakka way of life—a lifestyle deeply rooted in a century of village history and culture.